Clucking Hens: December – Engagement Shoots & Getting Overwhelmed

Hello brides, maids of honour, hens and friends, welcome back to a brand new month of wedding inspiration – and Merry Christmas! Every month, the Red Star Fancy Dress team help tonnes of hen parties find their perfect outfits for an evening of serious fun, but we also like to keep tabs on all things wedding! This is our regular spot for sharing our favourite posts from our favourite wedding blogs across the web.

This December, learn how to “style out” a spot of rain on your romantic engagement shoot like a couple of pros, take a deep breath and step back from becoming overwhelmed by wedding planning with a heartening blog from a fellow bride-to-be, plus discover how one couple opted out of traditional weddings and planned a big day focussed on their personal needs.

This Rainy Engagement Shoot Will Melt Your Heart

A downpour might not be your idea of the perfect backdrop for your engagement shoot, after all, who wants to look like a couple of drowned rats in soggy love? But Kelly and Bobby's photoshoot might just change your mind. In this drop dead gorgeous post shared with the charming Wedding Sparrow blog, the ridiculously photogenic twosome splash around well and truly loved up in the rain. Proof the the very best photographs don't need spot on staging or even good weather – true love shines through (although the photographic talents of Greer Gattuso certainly help too).

What to do When Wedding Planning Becomes Overwhelming

Feeling stressed by all the planning that still needs to be done before your big day? Feel like you're heading for a big wedding freak out? Breathe. Relax. And read this comforting blog from a bride-to-be going through exactly the same thing. Planning your wedding can be incredibly overwhelming – which what feels like a million and one little details to take care of. But if you ever feel overwhelmed, sharing your problems and worries with others can be a big relief – they can even offer practical help and support. Thanks to Bridal Musings and their Real Bride Diary series for offering an empathic perspective!

How to Put Your Wedding Needs First

A big dress, decadent canapés, picture perfect bouquets, a three course meal, a live band – there are many couples who love the romance of a big, traditional wedding. But for other couples, this just doesn't hold true. With increasingly diverse families, busy lives and financial pressures, the traditional wedding is a long way from what everybody wants – yet planning something different can be surprisingly tricky – especially when you run up against other people's expectations and the wedding industry as a whole. Here is the inspiring story of how one couple focussed on their own wedding needs and planned a radically different day to celebrate their relationship, published on the excellent Offbeat Bride website.

Are you planning a traditional big wedding with all the bells and whistles or arranging something carefully tailored to you and your lifestyle? Share your plans and stories with other brides-to-be below.